Multi-shooter basketball rebounding device and system

ABSTRACT

Multi-shooter basketball rebounding devices and systems are provided herein. An example freestanding basketball rebounding apparatus can include an upper frame assembly configured to rebound shot basketballs to an orifice. The upper frame assembly can include upper frame arms and a collapsible-extensible netting configured to couple to the upper frame arms to form an upwardly and downwardly opened funnel shaped enclosure that directs the shot basketballs to the orifice. The apparatus can also include a bottom support frame assembly configured to collect the shot basketballs from the orifice. The bottom support frame assembly can include a ball catch basket configured to receive and hold multiple basketballs and bottom frame legs configured to be adjustable to adjust a height of one or more components of the apparatus. The apparatus can further include a connecting component configured to connect components of the upper frame assembly to the bottom support frame assembly.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of Utility-Provisional ApplicationNo. 63/366,810, entitled “Multi-Shooter Basketball Rebounding Apparatusand System”, filed Jun. 22, 2022, the disclosure and entire content ofwhich are incorporated by reference herein.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure is generally directed to basketball reboundingdevices and systems. More specifically, the present disclosure relatesto multi-shooter basketball rebounding devices and systems.

BACKGROUND

A wide variety of basketball rebounding devices have been conceived toreduce the time spent rebounding basketball shots. However, conventionalball rebounding devices suffer from several disadvantages. These devicestend to be large and cumbersome to install and move from one location tothe another. Many backboard or stanchion mounted devices requireinstallation personnel to climb a ladder above the height of the rime toloosen or tighten multiple fasteners which secure the device to thehoop. Ball rebounding devices that are secured to the backboard orstanchion may not accommodate both fan shaped and square backboarddesigns. In addition, the conventional ball rebounding devices do notallow multiple shooters to approach the device and retrieve basketballsat the same time. These devices also restrict participation ofwheelchair seated shooters. Accordingly, what would be desirable aremulti-shooter basketball rebounding devices and systems, which addressthe foregoing, and other, needs.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides multi-shooter basketball reboundingdevices and systems. An example freestanding basketball reboundingapparatus can include an upper frame assembly configured to rebound shotbasketballs to an orifice. The upper frame assembly can include aplurality of upper frame arms and a collapsible-extensible nettingconfigured to couple to the plurality of upper frame arms to form anupwardly and downwardly opened funnel shaped enclosure that directs theshot basketballs to the orifice. The apparatus can also include a bottomsupport frame assembly configured to collect the shot basketballs fromthe orifice. The bottom support frame assembly can include a ball catchbasket configured to receive and hold multiple basketballs and aplurality of bottom frame legs configured to be adjustable to adjust aheight of one or more components of the apparatus. The apparatus canfurther include a connecting component configured to connect one or morecomponents of the upper frame assembly to the bottom support frameassembly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description ofthe disclosure, will be better understood when read in conjunction withthe appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the disclosure,there is shown in the drawings an embodiment of a freestandingmulti-shooter basketball rebounding apparatus. It should be understood,however, that the disclosure is not limited to the precise arrangementsand instrumentalities shown.

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of an example freestandingmulti-shooter basketball rebounding apparatus aligned with thebasketball structure in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 2 is a rear view of a connecting stanchion attached to an exampleupper frame and an example bottom support frame in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an example freestanding multi-shooterbasketball rebounding apparatus aligned with a basketball backboard andrim in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example use of a freestanding multi-shooterbasketball rebounding apparatus by multi-shooters in accordance withsome embodiments.

FIG. 5 illustrates another example freestanding multi-shooter basketballrebounding apparatus in accordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 6A-6D illustrate example assembly steps of an example freestandingmulti-shooter basketball rebounding apparatus in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an example freestanding multi-shooterbasketball rebounding apparatus placed for functional use with abasketball backboard in accordance with some embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Certain terminology is used in the following description for convenienceonly and is not limiting. Unless specifically set forth herein, theterms “a”, “an” and “the” are not limited to one element, but insteadshould be read as meaning “at least one”. The terminology includes thewords noted above, derivatives thereof and words similar import.

It also should be understood that the terms “about”, “approximately”,“generally”, “substantially” and like terms, used herein when referringto a dimension or characteristic of a component of the presentdisclosure, indicate that the described dimension/characteristic is nota strict boundary or parameter and does not exclude minor variationstherefrom that are functionally similar. At a minimum, such referencesthat include a numerical parameter would include variations that, usingmathematical and industrial principles accepted in the art (e.g.,rounding, measurement or other systematic errors, manufacturingtolerances, etc.), would not vary the least significant digit.

The present disclosure provides multi-shooter basketball reboundingdevices and systems. Basketball rebounding devices can reduce time spentrebounding basketball shots. These devices generally includecollapsible-extensible netting and a frame. The frame is secured to abackboard, mounted to a stanchion, or placed on a basketball court belowa hoop. The collapsible-extensible netting is stretched between theframe to surround a basketball rim and capture basketballs from made andmissed shots. Some devices can further direct the shot basketball(s) toa collection point or to a shooter.

The multi-shooter basketball rebounding apparatus taught herein canprovide much-needed improvement with its ability to rebound made ormissed shots from multiple basketball shooters at the same time. Itprovides an improved shooter-trainer interface by allowing multipleshooters, including and not limited to those that are wheelchair seatedto retrieve basketballs quickly and easily from the ball catch at thesame time. The ability to manually retrieve multiple basketballs fromthe device catch is an advantage necessary to facilitatedynamic/high-repetition basketball shooting drills, including shootervs. shooter drills that simulate a shooter's shot under competitivepressure, various passing frames and ball rotations, and human tempomovements not obtainable using existing rebounding devices.

In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a freestandingmulti-shooter basketball rebounding apparatus, aligned with a basketballhoop or goal to capture made and missed basketballs. The freestandingmulti-shooter basketball rebounding apparatus taught herein uniquelyfacilitates competitive shooting/training games. One such game, multipleshooters are needed to retrieve their basketball from a rebounder at thesame time allowing a shooter to pass the basketball to their teammatewho is waiting at the next designated shot location. The freestandingmulti-shooter basketball rebounding apparatus taught herein allowsmultiple shooters to physically approach the device at the same time andretrieve basketballs simultaneously, a necessary function not currentlyavailable using existing rebounding devices. The freestandingmulti-shooter basketball rebounding apparatus taught herein also allowsfor wheelchair seated shooters to retrieve their rebounded basketballwith no greater effort than shooters on foot. In some embodiments, thefreestanding multi-shooter basketball rebounding apparatus taught hereincan be used with a basketball hoop and backboard mounted to a verticalpost or ceiling mount system. The freestanding multi-shooter basketballrebounding apparatus taught herein can provide an angular adjustment toconvert a rebounding net assembly to a defensive barrier for basketballand automatic basketball collection allowing multiple shooters tophysically approach the device at the same time and retrieve basketballssimultaneously.

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of an example freestandingmulti-shooter basketball rebounding apparatus 100 (also referred to asapparatus 100) aligned with a basketball structure in accordance withsome embodiments. The apparatus 100 can include an upper frame assembly106, a bottom support frame assembly 110, a connecting component 108,and a digital scoreboard 116. In some embodiments, some or all of thecomponents taught herein can be separate pieces and can be assembled toform the apparatus 100 and disassembled into separate pieces forcarrying, compact transportation, and/or space-limited storage. In someembodiments, some or all of the components of the apparatus 100 can bepositioned forward of a backboard 150 and cannot extend around or overthe backboard, as further described with respect to FIG. 3 . In someembodiments, the apparatus 100 can include fewer or more components. Forexample, the digital scoreboard 116 can be excluded. As another example,the apparatus 100 can include one or more retractable shot locators thatfacilitate accurate and consistent marking of specified shootinglocations used in both training drills and competitive shooting game,lighting systems to facilitates multi-shooters for shooting.

The upper frame assembly 106 can be configured to define an orifice 120through which shot basketballs can descend. The upper frame assembly 106can include a plurality of upper frame arms 112, a support frame 160, acollapsible-extensible netting 102, and an orifice 120.

The upper frame arms 112 can be detachably connected-extendible arms,which are light and easy to carry. The upper frame arms 112 can beretractable and extendable to adjust the height of thecollapsible-extensible netting 102 with respect to the rim of thebasketball hoop 152 (as illustrated in FIG. 3 ). For example, theapparatus 100 can include 4 upper frame arms 112, each arm havingsubarms 112 a and 112 b. The subarms 112 a and 112 b can be separatepieces that can be connected to form a single arm and detached intoseparate piece. Each subarm can be extendible and/or retractable. Insome embodiments, the subarms 112 a and 112 b can be a single piece (asillustrated in FIGS. 6A-6D). For example, one of the subarms 112 a and112 b can be retracted into the other one to shorten the length of thatarm for easy carry and can be protracted from that subarm to lengthenthe length of that arm. The upper frame arms 112 can extend to a heightabove a rim of a basketball hoop 152 (as illustrated in FIG. 3 ). Theangles of the top subarms 112 a can be adjusted to a predetermined anglesuch that the top subarms 112 a can be oblique relative to the subarms112 b (e.g., relative to a vertical direction). In some embodiments,each arm can include more than two subarms (as illustrated in FIGS.6B-6D).

The support frame 160 can be coupled (e.g., attached, connected, ormounted) to the upper frame arms 112. The support frame 160 can be alsocoupled (e.g., attached, connected, or mounted) to thecollapsible-extensible netting 102 such that the shot basketballs canpass though the orifice 120. The support frame 160 can includeprotrusion portions 162, each coupled (e.g., attached, connected, ormounted) to each upper frame arm, a flat support portion 164 having theorifice 120 and receiving the protrusion portions 162, a verticalsupport portion 166 coupled (e.g., attached, connected, or mounted) tothe connecting component 108, as further illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 .In some embodiments, the support frame 160 can be excluded from theupper frame assembly 106 and can be part of the connecting component108, as illustrated in FIGS. 5-7 .

The collapsible-extensible netting 102 can rebound shot basketballs backto the orifice 120. The collapsible-extensible netting 102 can beflexible. The collapsible-extensible netting 102 can be coupled (e.g.,attached, connected, or mounted) to the upper frame arms 112 to form anupwardly and downwardly opened funnel shaped enclosure that can directthe shot basketballs to the orifice 120.

The orifice 120 can allow the shot basketballs passing through todescend to the bottom support frame assembly 110.

The bottom support frame assembly 110 can be configured to receive theshot basketballs and support the upper frame assembly 106, theconnecting component 108, and/or a digital scoreboard 116. The bottomsupport frame assembly 110 can be coupled (e.g., attached, connected, ormounted) to the connecting component 108. The bottom support frameassembly 110 can include a ball catch basket 104 and a plurality ofbottom frame legs 114, and a flat support frame 118.

The ball catch basket 104 can be configured to receive and hold multiplebasketballs at the same time. The ball catch basket 104 can extendgenerally below the orifice 120. The ball catch basket 104 can be solelysupported by and detachably connected to the bottom frame legs 114. Theball catch basket 104 can be open from the top and have a distance(e.g., about 32 inches) from the basketball court surface, allowingmultiple shooters including those wheelchair seated to manually retrievebasketballs at the same time.

The bottom frame legs 114 can be detachably connected tubular legs, eachhaving adjustable leveling feet. The length of each of the bottom framelegs 114 can be adjustable to adjust the height of the apparatus 100,the height of the ball catch basket 104, and/or the height of othercomponents of the apparatus 100 to satisfy different needs (e.g.,shooters on foot, wheelchair seated shooters, or the like). For example,the bottom frame legs 114 can be retractable and extendable to adjustthe height.

The flat support frame 118 can receive the bottom frame legs 114 and theconnecting component 108.

The connecting component 108 can be a detachable support frame component(e.g., connecting stanchion illustrated in FIG. 2 ) that can stabilizethe apparatus 100 and connect the upper frame assembly 106 and thebottom support frame assembly 110 to establish a freestandingfunctionality of the apparatus 100. For example, the top portion of theconnecting component 108 can be coupled (e.g., attached, connected, ormounted) to the upper frame arms 112. The bottom portion of theconnecting component 108 can be coupled (e.g., attached, connected, ormounted) to the bottom support frame assembly 110.

The digital scoreboard 116 can be detachably connected to the connectingcomponent 108, providing situational awareness to multiple shooters. Insome embodiments, the digital scoreboard 116 can present scores of oneor more teams. For example, players from multiple teams can shoot thesame basket. The digital scoreboard 116 can present scores for eachteam.

FIG. 2 is a rear view of an example connecting component 108 attached toan example upper frame assembly 106 and an example bottom support frameassembly 110 in accordance with some embodiments. As illustrated, an endportion of the connecting component 108 can be coupled (e.g., attached,connected, or mounted) to the vertical support portion 166 of thesupport frame 160 of the upper frame assembly 106. The other end portionof the connecting component 108 can be coupled (e.g., attached,connected, or mounted) to the flat support frame 118 of the bottom frameassembly 110.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an example freestanding multi-shooterbasketball rebounding apparatus 100 aligned with a basketball backboard150 and rim of a basketball hoop 152 in accordance with someembodiments. As illustrated, the digital scoreboard 116 can be detachedfrom the apparatus 100. All portions of the apparatus 100 can bepositioned forward of the backboard 150 and do not extend around or overthe backboard 150 thereon.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example use of a freestanding multi-shooterbasketball rebounding apparatus 100 by multi-shooters having significantheight difference in accordance with some embodiments. A shooter 200 onfoot and a wheelchair seated shooter 202 can shoot the same basket fortraining and/or competition. The heights of the bottom frame legs 114can be adjusted to meet needs from both shooters 200 and 202. Thedigital scoreboard 116 can present scores for each shooter. It should beunderstood that the apparatus 100 can be used for different teams withor without significant height difference (e.g., shooters having variousage groups, such as adults, teenagers, kids, shoots on foot, wheelchairseated shoots, or the like) for training and competition.

FIG. 5 illustrates another example freestanding multi-shooter basketballrebounding apparatus 100′ in accordance with some embodiments. Theapparatus 100′ can include an upper frame assembly 106′, a bottomsupport frame assembly 110 having depression portions 310 to receive theupper frame arms 112, and a connecting component 108′. The connectingcomponent 108′ can include a flat support portion 300 having the orifice120 and a vertical support portion 302 to be coupled (e.g., attached,connected, or mounted) to the bottom support frame assembly 110.Compared with the apparatus 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 , the upper frameassembly 106′ does not include the support frame 160 to support theupper frame arms 112. Instead, the upper frame arms 112 can be coupledto the bottom support frame assembly 110.

FIGS. 6A-6D illustrate example assembly steps of the freestandingmulti-shooter basketball rebounding apparatus 100′ in accordance withsome embodiments. As illustrated in FIG. 6A, the upper frame arms 112can be coupled (e.g., attached, connected, or mounted) to the bottomsupport frame assembly 110 via the depression portions 310. Asillustrated in FIG. 6B, the upper frame arms 112 can be extendable to apredetermined height. As illustrated in FIG. 6C, the top subarms 112 acan be tilted relative to the subarms 112 b (e.g., tilted relative to avertical line) to couple to the collapsible-extensible netting 102.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the freestanding multi-shooterbasketball rebounding apparatus 100′ placed for functional use with abasketball backboard 150. All portions of the apparatus 100′ can bepositioned forward of the backboard 150 and do not extend around or overthe backboard 150. In some embodiments, the apparatus 100′ can include aretractable shot locator 400 (measuring line) that facilitates accurateand consistent marking of specified shooting locations used in bothtraining drills and competitive shooting games. It should be understoodthat the apparatus 100′ can include multiple retractable shot locator400 coupled to other components of the apparatus 100′ (e.g., theconnecting component 108′).

Having thus described the system and device in detail, it is to beunderstood that the foregoing description is not intended to limit thespirit or scope thereof. It will be understood that the embodiments ofthe present disclosure described herein are merely exemplary and that aperson skilled in the art can make any variations and modificationwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. All suchvariations and modifications, including those discussed above, areintended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A freestanding basketball rebounding apparatuscomprising: an upper frame assembly configured to rebound shotbasketballs to an orifice, the upper frame assembly comprising: aplurality of upper frame arms; and a collapsible-extensible nettingconfigured to couple to the plurality of upper frame arms to form anupwardly and downwardly opened funnel shaped enclosure that directs theshot basketballs to the orifice; a bottom support frame assemblyconfigured to collect the shot basketballs from the orifice, the bottomsupport frame assembly comprising: a ball catch basket configured toreceive and hold multiple basketballs; and a plurality of bottom framelegs configured to be adjustable to adjust a height of one or morecomponents of the apparatus; and a connecting component configured toconnect one or more components of the upper frame assembly to the bottomsupport frame assembly.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein theconnecting component comprises a vertical support component having oneend configured to couple to the upper frame assembly and the other endconfigured to couple to the bottom support frame assembly.
 3. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the connecting component comprises a flatsupport portion having the orifice and a vertical support portionconfigured to couple to the bottom support frame assembly.
 4. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of the upper frame arms areretractable and extendable to adjust the height of thecollapsible-extensible netting relative to a basketball hoop.
 5. Theapparatus of claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of upper frame armscomprises a plurality of subarms, wherein at least one of the pluralityof subarms is tilted relative to other sub arms.
 6. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the plurality of the upper frame arms extend to aheight above a rim of a basketball hoop.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein each of the plurality of the upper frame arms is a single piece.8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the upper frame assembly furthercomprises a support frame having a plurality of protrusion portionsconfigured to couple to each of the plurality of upper frame arms and aflat support portion having the orifice.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8,wherein the upper frame assembly further comprises a vertical supportportion configured to couple to the connecting component.
 10. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the bottom frame assembly furthercomprises a plurality of depression portions configured to couple toeach of the plurality of upper frame arms.
 11. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the ball catch basket extends below the orifice and is supportedby and is detachably coupled to the plurality of bottom frame legs. 12.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of bottom frame legs areadjustable to a predetermined height suitable for multiple shootershaving at least one wheelchair seated shooter and at least one shooteron foot, allowing the multiple shooters manually retrieve basketballs atthe same time.
 13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein thecollapsible-extensible netting attached to the plurality of the upperframe arms extends to a height of between about 15 to about 21 inchesabove a rim of a basketball hoop and extends outward to a distance about40 to 60 inches from a center point of the rim.
 14. The apparatus ofclaim 1, further comprising a digital scoreboard detachably connected tothe connecting component, providing situational awareness to multipleshooters.
 15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one or more componentsof the apparatus are detachable and are easily disassembled for compacttransportation.
 16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one or morecomponents of the apparatus are positioned forward of a backboard. 17.The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising one or more retractableshot locators to facilitate accurate and consistent marking of specifiedshooting locations.
 18. A freestanding basketball rebounding apparatuscomprising: an upper frame assembly configured to rebound shotbasketballs to an orifice, the upper frame assembly comprising: aplurality of upper frame arms; a collapsible-extensible nettingconfigured to be coupled to the plurality of upper frame arms to form anupwardly and downwardly opened funnel shaped enclosure that directs theshot basketballs to the orifice; and a support frame having a pluralityof protrusion portions configured to couple to each of the plurality ofupper frame arms and a flat support portion having the orifice; a bottomsupport frame assembly configured to collect the shot basketballs fromthe orifice, the bottom support frame assembly comprising: a ball catchbasket configured to receive and hold multiple basketballs; and aplurality of bottom frame legs configured to be adjustable to adjust aheight of one or more components of the apparatus; and a connectingstanchion configured to connect the upper frame assembly to the bottomsupport frame assembly.
 19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein supportframe further comprises a vertical support portion configured to coupleto the connecting stanchion.
 20. A freestanding basketball reboundingapparatus comprising: an upper frame assembly configured to rebound shotbasketballs to an orifice, the upper frame assembly comprising: aplurality of upper frame arms; and a collapsible-extensible nettingconfigured to be coupled to the plurality of upper frame arms to form anupwardly and downwardly opened funnel shaped enclosure that directs theshot basketballs to the orifice; a bottom support frame assemblyconfigured to collect the shot basketballs from the orifice, the bottomsupport frame assembly comprising: a ball catch basket configured toreceive and hold multiple basketballs; a plurality of bottom frame legsconfigured to be adjustable to adjust a height of one or more componentsof the apparatus; and a plurality of depression portions configured tocouple to the plurality of upper frame arms; and a connecting componenthaving the orifice and configured to couple to at least the bottomsupport frame assembly.